Sierra Canyon boys basketball starts CIF State playoffs strong with win over Centennial

Centennial’s Isaiah Rogers, #21, looks for a way around Sierra Canyon’s Bryce Cofield, #12, during second quarter action against Centennial in the CIF State Division I playoffs at Sierra Canyon on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Sierra Canyon defeated Centennial 73-48 and will face Santa Barbara on Thursday. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

1 of 18

St. John Bosco basketball’s defense stifles Heritage Christian in CIF-SS Open Division playoffs

Expand

CHATSWORTH — The Sierra Canyon boys basketball team is seizing the moment as a top seed in the CIF State Division I playoffs.

“We feel like we can play with anybody in the state,” senior Gavin Hightower said. “We felt like we should have been in the Open, but it’s another opportunity for us to show who we are as a program.”

The Trailblazers opened up state tournament play in a big way with a 73-48 win over Corona Centennial on Tuesday night.

Maximo Adams finished with a game-high 21 points, Bryce James added 15 points and Bryce Cofield scored eight points. The Trailblazers next host Santa Barbara on Thursday night in the second round.

Sierra Canyon was one of three Mission League teams to earn a spot in the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs and finished 2-2 in pool play. The CIF-SS outcome gave the Trailblazers a No. 1 seeding in the CIF State Division I tournament.

“We have to learn how to be under control in late-game situations,” Hightower said. “And also knowing we’ve always got to play hard because it always comes down to that last play. We carried that on to state and I think that’s how we got the win tonight.”

Sierra Canyon used its active, aggressive defense to get key defensive rebounds and force turnovers in the second quarter. Centennial only scored two points from the field in the frame and shot 4-for-12 from the free-throw line.

Six-foot-5 Arizona commit Bryce James saw limited action in the second half but finished the first half with 15 points and was 5-for-8 from the perimeter.

Travel: 12 reasons to fall in love with taking a cruise

“They were just giving it to me,” James said. “They keep handing it off and I’ll keep shooting it.”

He shot comfortably from the right side and came up with a momentum-shifting defensive play with 3:15 left in the opening quarter.

He forced a turnover on Centennial’s end of the court and dished the ball to Gavin Hightower. The three-star point guard and Iona commit found Jayden Alexander on the right side for a swift 3-pointer and a 14-11 advantage.

“Coach always says defense leads to offense,” James said. “Me playing hard on defense gets us open shots and transition buckets, fast-break dunks. It comes easy to us if we just play defense.”

Hightower teamed up with 6-foot-8 junior Maximo Adams for two assists that resulted in a layup and then a dunk to kick off the third quarter.

“The chemistry is definitely there,” Hightower said. “My biggest area of growth has been my playmaking ability. I’ve really been able to get my teammates involved and show their abilities.”

Sierra Canyon has a senior-heavy roster with nine seniors in the group. They’re determined to go out on a high note.

“It would mean everything to put a banner up in this gym,” Hightower said. “I’ve only been here one year, but with the love and support I’ve got, it would mean the world to me to bring a banner back to Sierra Canyon.”

More first-round scores

Division II: St. Augustine 60, Canyon 40

Division II: Bakersfield 67, Oak Park 53

Division III: Sun Valley Poly 60, Tri-City Christian 54

(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)

Related Posts

LA woman sentenced to 11 years in infant daughter’s death

White House confirms ‘ongoing talks and discussions’ with Hamas officials amid ceasefire uncertainty

LA County wildfire recovery leaders tout ‘sense of ownership’ in new tree removal waiver

Leave a Reply Cancel reply